Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Bali?

No. Tap water in Bali's hotels, villas and homes is not recommended for drinking, and hardly any locals drink it either. Stick to sealed bottled water, refill gallons or boiled water. Information below checked in September 2026.

Why isn't it safe if there's a public water utility?

Regional water companies such as Perumda Tirta Sewakadarma (Denpasar) and Tirta Mangutama (Badung) treat water at their plants, but quality at the tap is not guaranteed. Water travels through long pipes and is often stored in a rooftop tank before it reaches your room. Many villas and guesthouses, especially in Canggu, Ubud and Uluwatu, also run on their own boreholes. The US CDC, in its food and water advice for travellers to Indonesia, recommends drinking only sealed bottled water or water that has been boiled or treated.

Can I brush my teeth with tap water?

Plenty of visitors do so without trouble, because you swallow very little. If your stomach is sensitive, you are pregnant or you are travelling with small children, use the drinking water the hotel provides. Almost every hotel leaves bottles or a dispenser in the room for exactly this.

Is the ice in cafés and warungs safe?

Usually yes, if it is factory-made crystal ice: clear, tube-shaped with a hole in the middle, or uniform cubes. It is made from treated water. The one to watch is block ice, large cloudy white slabs broken up with a hammer. Indonesia's food and drug agency BPOM warns that block ice is usually made from untreated water to chill fish or bottled drinks, not to be consumed. At a small warung where you are unsure, order your drink without ice.

Where do I refill now that small bottles are scarce?

Since Bali Governor Circular No. 9 of 2025 on the Clean Bali waste movement (issued 2 April 2025), single-use plastic bottled water under 1 litre may no longer be produced or distributed in Bali. A lawsuit by businesses against the policy was rejected and the ruling became final at the end of July 2026. As a result the 600 ml bottles once found in every minimart are getting hard to find. Your options:

• Bring your own bottle and fill it from the 19-litre gallon at your hotel or villa.
• Find refill stations with the Refill My Bottle app or map, a movement that started in Bali; participating cafés, shops and hotels put its sticker in the window. Some are free, some charge a little.
• Buy 1.5-litre bottles at a minimart for long day trips.

More ways to cut plastic on holiday are in our eco-friendly Bali travel guide.

What if I already have "Bali belly"?

Sip oral rehydration salts or an electrolyte drink little and often, eat plain food and rest. See a doctor promptly if there is blood in your stool, a high fever, vomiting so persistent you cannot keep fluids down, signs of dehydration (hardly urinating, dizziness on standing), or no improvement within two days. Small children and older travellers should be checked sooner. Hospitals, 24-hour clinics and emergency numbers are listed in our Bali health and emergency guide.

One question worth asking at check-in: where does the in-room dispenser get its water? "From gallons" or "reverse osmosis filter" means it is fine to drink; if the staff member hesitates, stick to bottled water.